Sharp Axes

[bornadog]

It's all good & well to say our bottom 6 aren't up to scratch, but when exactly do our top 16 wear some of the blame for the shitful performance in the EF?

By most pundit's accounts only 2-3 of our top 16 players would've scored higher than a 6/10 in this game which leaves a big load to be carried by the bottom 6.

Unless the likes of Bont, Timid, Libba, Cody, Marra, Liam, Treloar, Ed, etc. perform at a consistent level it won't matter how good our best 6 are.

I am talking about the whole year and it was shown up in the EF

[Sedat]

But he started as: Head of Football Operations and Performance? then becoming the head of their AFLW and then losing that too to that role finally in that role as an assistant?

Seems like he lost responsibility every year. Year after year.

That last title has strong 'Utopia' vibes

[Rocco Jones]

It's all good & well to say our bottom 6 aren't up to scratch, but when exactly do our top 16 wear some of the blame for the shitful performance in the EF?

By most pundit's accounts only 2-3 of our top 16 players would've scored higher than a 6/10 in this game which leaves a big load to be carried by the bottom 6.

Unless the likes of Bont, Timid, Libba, Cody, Marra, Liam, Treloar, Ed, etc. perform at a consistent level it won't matter how good our best 6 are.

Totally.

In general, I believe the effect of the bottom 6 are overly discussed by fans/media. Having guns and/or great structures around you makes the bottom 6 look better. Not saying they aren't important, just that your guns are way more important.

I created a points margin thread a week or so ago. We improved a lot in the second half of the seasons but our 4 losses where all over 6 goals. During these losses Bont, English, Libba, Cody, Liam Jones and Ed all really struggled. Each of them probably had 3-4 of their worst 5 games of the season in those big losses.

Lobb and Adz probably our best two in those four games by a fair distance.

[Sedat]

Totally.

In general, I believe the effect of the bottom 6 are overly discussed by fans/media. Having guns and/or great structures around you makes the bottom 6 look better. Not saying they aren't important, just that your guns are way more important.

I created a points margin thread a week or so ago. We improved a lot in the second half of the seasons but our 4 losses where all over 6 goals. During these losses Bont, English, Libba, Cody, Liam Jones and Ed all really struggled. Each of them probably had 3-4 of their worst 5 games of the season in those big losses.

Lobb and Adz probably our best two in those four games by a fair distance.

I guess none of us were banking on Bont having his worst ever game since he was 18yo. All the others mentioned by you above really struggled as well - you aren't winning anything when your top tier are all poor on a given night.

The why is what matters. Why are our senior players so poor semi-regularly, and do they have the ability to fight through poor starts in games to contribute later on? Brisbane had many terrible senior players on Saturday night but they willed themselves to become big contributors as the game wore on. Likewise Sydney did in the QF as well - guys like Warner and Gulden were awful for most of that game but absolutely tore it to shreds late.

[bornadog]

Totally.

In general, I believe the effect of the bottom 6 are overly discussed by fans/media.

When your bottom players get 5 to 8 disposals you are playing with fewer players. Hawks bottom players only Chol (beaten by Lobb) and Gunston (cooked) didn't have double figures. It makes a big difference to a team effort which we didn't have in the final.

[Rocco Jones]

Gun Bulldogs in losses
- Bont: nearly all of them he struggled with tag and found a way back into it going forward and kicking goals to end up with a 2 goals + 20ish disposals game. However game was lost by the time he got going.
- Cody: combined 0.2 in last 4 losses
- English: in reverse order= well beaten by Meek, injured early and well beaten by ROB, came back as the game went on but well beaten by Sweet early when the game was there to be won, pretty even with Big O but thought English was beaten early when the game was largely decided
- Ed: down on form in each of last 3 losses he played in
- Liam Jones: struggled a bit in general post injury so not a struggling in losses thing as such
- Libba: similar to Jones as perhaps more of a form thing than how he went in losses

[bornadog]

Gun Bulldogs in losses
- Bont: nearly all of them he struggled with tag and found a way back into it going forward and kicking goals to end up with a 2 goals + 20ish disposals game. However game was lost by the time he got going.
- Cody: combined 0.2 in last 4 losses
- English: in reverse order= well beaten by Meek, injured early and well beaten by ROB, came back as the game went on but well beaten by Sweet early when the game was there to be won, pretty even with Big O but thought English was beaten early when the game was largely decided
- Ed: down on form in each of last 3 losses he played in
- Liam Jones: struggled a bit in general post injury so not a struggling in losses thing as such
- Libba: similar to Jones as perhaps more of a form thing than how he went in losses

Yes agree, the last 4 losses were bad, and we need to work on why it happened, so we can be better next year.

[Mantis]

I am talking about the whole year and it was shown up in the EF

I'm going to let you die on your hill and completely ignore your posts, which is ****ing hard given how much you post.

I'll feel better for it.

[GVGjr]

His title was : Skills Specialist and Head of Leadership

That's where he finished. He didn't move West for that role.

[GVGjr]

Every team has a questionable last 6. Good sides just define their roles a bit better or get more from them.
Thats more on our coaches to find the improvement

[bornadog]

That's where he finished. He didn't move West for that role.

Yes I know, but he wasn’t in a Development role

[bornadog]

Every team has a questionable last 6. Good sides just define their roles a bit better or get more from them.
Thats more on our coaches to find the improvement

Agree. I was originally answering Azabobs question on what needs to change, but somehow it got lost in translation.

[GVGjr]

Yes I know, but he wasn’t in a Development role

I don't think there is any question he's been moved to reduced roles at Fremantle which is an indication to me that he wouldn't be an upgrade for our footy department. I'm not a fan of our media manager, perhaps Bob might be suited to that role

[bornadog]

I don't think there is any question he's been moved to reduced roles at Fremantle which is an indication to me that he wouldn't be an upgrade for our footy department. I'm not a fan of our media manager, perhaps Bob might be suited to that role

I wouldn't be interested in him at all.

yep agreed

[jeemak]

I thought our bottom six or so players were better this year by and large. On the eye test they didn't struggle as much as the seemed to after 2021.

They'll only ever be as good as the better players and the system supporting them though. It's the same for all teams.